Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Oiseaux-Tempête

03 November 2017

There’s less than one week to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Oiseaux-Tempête

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at De Helling, curated by Jerusalem In My Heart

Photo: As Human Pattern

French collective Oiseaux-Tempête, the core duo of Frédéric D. Oberland and Stéphane Pigneul, released AL-‘AN ! الآن (And your night is your shadow — a fairy-tale piece of land to make our dreams) earlier this year and we fell completely for the album. Partly recorded in Beirut last year, it radiates and reflects its cultural diversity and social and political atmosphere. Euphoric and tumultuous, beautiful and urgent, enigmatic and emotive, their rich soundscapes also draw from their improvisational energy and genres aplenty, from post-rock and free-jazz to Arabic music and electronica. Today Frédéric and Stéphane tell us which three acts they’re most excited to see at the festival.

 

“So hard to pick up three names in this killer line-up! We could have chosen the 12hours drone feat. Jessica Moss, Yann Gourdon, Lea Bertucci, Ashtoreth… – Dälek – Linda Sharrock – Matana Roberts – or Alanis Obomsawin performing ‘Bush Lady’… These are three acts we might be in the audience shaking heads:

 

BIG I BRAVE

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at Pastoefabriek

“Theses guys get everything a power-trio should be: direct and ecstatic, loud and graceful. Their last album ‘Ardor’, recorded by the mighty Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem In My Heart) is a total blast! We will miss their tour in France in the upcoming weeks so we are delighted to be able to see them live at Le Guess Who?!”

 

Pharmakon

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at EKKO, curated by Perfume Genius

“Behind the cure and poison oriented moniker and sometimes harsh sound, Margaret Chardiet questions the link between body, flesh and feelings.
It can be creepy, dark and scary, but it speaks also about hope and light hidden in the human nature.
We definitely won’t miss the fury and anger on stage, as we follow carefully her work recently.”

 

Ahmed Fakroun feat. Altin Gün

Ahmed Fakroun’s Official Website

Altin Gün’s Facebook Page

Performing Thursday 9th November at TivoliVredenburg

“The Lybian legendary crooner and multi-instrumentist Ahmed Fakroun meets the psychedelic vibes of Dutch-Turkish Altin Gün. Prepare yourself to dance.”

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And stay tuned for more artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Watch Ex-Easter Island Head’s video for ‘Sixteen Snares’

01 November 2017

The heavenly ‘Sixteen Snares’ off Ex-Easter Island Head‘s latest album Twenty-Two Strings has recently received the visual treatment. The video, made by Jack Whiteley, offers a fascinating glimpse of just how unique and mesmeric the trio’s live performances are.

Ex-Easter Island Head will perform at Le Guess Who? on November 11th, as part of the program curated by James Holden. If you haven’t yet seen their own picks for the festival, find out which acts they’re most excited about in Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Julianna Barwick

31 October 2017

There’s just over one week to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Julianna Barwick

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at Academiegebouw, curated by Perfume Genius

Photo: Vera Marmelo

Julianna Barwick’s celestial soundscapes are flush with emotional and sonic depth. Known for her ethereal and immersive loop-based compositions, Barwick’s mesmerizing songwriting is deeply inspired by her church choir upbringing in Louisiana and Missouri. Needless to say we can’t wait to see her perform at Le Guess Who?, and we asked her which bands she’s most looking forward to.

 

Grouper

Bandcamp

Performing Thursday 9th November at Domkerk

“one of my favorite artists of all time
here is one of my favorite tracks”

 

John Maus

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November at at TivoliVredenburg

“also a favorite
one of my favorite tracks”

 

Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November at Domkerk, curated by Perfume Genius

“i’ve been intrigued by them for many years, and can’t wait to hear them live!”

Poppy Ackroyd shares first single from upcoming third album Resolve

30 October 2017

Poppy Ackroyd has been a favourite of ours for a long time, first conquering our ears with her 2012 wonderful debut album Escapement and the beguiling Feathers which was one of our 15 Album Picks of 2014. Earlier this summer, the marvellous multi-instrumentalist and composer announced a brand new album. Preceding the record, and serving as an enticing introduction to her music, Poppy released Sketches, a stunning mini-album featuring solo piano arrangements of some of her favourite tracks from previous records as well as from four new tracks off the upcoming album. Entitled Resolve, and marking her first full-length album release on One Little Indian, the album will see the light of day in early 2018. “Resolve is about the determination to embrace the good things in life whilst dealing with unexpected and challenging difficulties”, explained Poppy. “Finding the light in the dark, facing sadness and loss head on, and developing a growing inner strength.”

Ahead of the album’s release, we can already hear the magnificent first single ‘The Calm Before’. Speaking about the track, Poppy said this:

“The Calm Before is almost entirely made up of clarinet sounds. The percussion was created using layers of clicking clarinet and bass clarinet keys, starting with a looped and chopped rhythm taken from an improvisation that appears throughout.”

Press play and let yourself get lost in the beauty and serenity of ‘The Calm Before’.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Tune-Yards

28 October 2017

There’s less than two weeks to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Tune-Yards

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at TivoliVredenburg

Tune-Yards always screams fun. The duo of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner hadn’t released an album in three years but we can rejoice, for they have a new record on the way. I can feel you creep into my private life is due out in January and they have already teased it with a sparkling single. Bringing their dance-inducing music to TivoliVredenburg on the last day of Le Guess Who?, the festival will undoubtedly close on an explosive high note. We’ve asked Nate what other bands he is looking forward to. Find out his recommendations below!

 

Juana Molina

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November at TivoliVredenburg

 

Shabazz Palaces

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November at TivoliVredenburg

 

Moor Mother

Bandcamp

Performing Friday 10th November at TivoliVredenburg, curated by Jerusalem In My Heart

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And stay tuned for more artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Watch James Holden & The Animal Spirits’ video for new album’s title track

27 October 2017

We’re only a week away from the release of The Animal Spirits,  the third album from James Holden and his new band The Animal Spirits. Following the release of the amazing and bubbly lead single ‘Pass Through The Fire, the electronic maverick has recently shared the album’s mighty title track. ‘The Animal Spirits’ comes with a video featuring dancer and choreographer Lucy Suggate improvising to the song, with various takes layered on top of each other. Holden, who had previously worked with Suggate, had to this say about their collaboration:

“Lucy is a part of this record even though she doesn’t make a sound on it: She and I met regularly throughout the time I was writing – in dance studios & rehearsal rooms, her practising her improvised dance, me practising my improvised music to a perfect audience of one. This song became what it is in those sessions, her wildness was in the record before we made this film of it.”

The Animal Spirits will be released on November 3rd through his own Border Community. Now watch the video. Dan Tombs directs.

With a new album comes a new show with Holden performing for the first time accompanied by a full band. Holden has announced his first London show in two years at Islington Assembly Hall on December 6th. There’s another very exciting date in the closer horizon which we can hardly wait for. On November 11th, James Holden & The Animal Spirits are performing at this year’s Le Guess Who?, where Holden is also one of the festival co-curators.